HushHush
by xHungDossx
Summary: AU Hinata and Sasuke never had a healthy relationship, so when they obtained love they became helpless as what to do with it. The dice are thrown and everything rests in the hands of their gamble. Through all the foul play, one thing remains true: secrets, when kept under too much pressure, explode. "Sasuke, if she dies, what are you going to do?" "Nothing." Kaboom.
1. Chapter 1

Complete Summary: AU They never had a healthy relationship. So when the two found love, they became clueless as what to do with it. Join Sasuhina on their love rollercoaster.

Warning: _Slight _Language. Television rating equivalent: TV-14: DL (again, minor). Decent comprehension skills required (or dictionary)

Read all the way for better effect.

_**Hush-Hush **_

It started off as an ordinary Saturday in October. Cool crisp fall air, crunchy fallen leaves, and the persistent smell of tea followed the young Uchiha wherever he went. Because of a certain blonde's antics, Sasuke had no choice but to walk around in his Karate attire. Luckily, he managed to get hold of some worn-out sneakers before leaving.

Literally falling apart, the shoe offered him no comfort. He had to keep an extremely low stride. Naruto was known for his pranks, so it did not come as astonishing when his casual clothes disappeared from his locker and the troublemaker was nowhere in sight. As he strode down a slope, he could hear the gawking of the scattered brain females he passed. Trying to keep his eye from twitching he kept his eavesdropping at minimum. However, he could not help it when a seventy year old woman remarked on how 'delicious' he looked. Hairs stood up on his neck.

Uzumaki Naruto would pay dearly. Self-conscious, the boy closed the front of his karate gi. What was usually a fifteen-minute walk doubled in time consumption but decreased by the same amount in tolerability. "Hey sweetheart you can grapple with me anytime." A slender arm snaked around his midsection. He did not have to look at her to know she was a bold beauty.

He simply sighed. Usually there would have been an immediate confrontation, but nowadays he didn't feel the need to put the police through any more hassle. "Sorry, but I'm already spoken for." Fortune finally smiled on him. Apparently she only had type three of the fan girl virus because she let him go without another word. As thanks to God, Buddha, and whatever other deities his mind could summon, he promised not to break Naruto's neck.

By the time, he got home, the rubber soles of the sneakers crumbled to the point it wasn't usable. One sneaker's tongue even fell out. Without a second thought, he threw them away. Those shoes had endured a lot. It was time to put them to rest.

Right away, he indulged in his studies. Throughout the afternoon Sasuke ignored the chiding of his mother for not bonding with her and the teasing of his perfect older brother who kept claiming his head would explode. Considering his mother's pursuit of bonding involved looking at naked baby pictures, soap operas, and poorly scripted 'reality' shows, he took his chances.

It was a quarter to six, meaning he had half an hour before he would be called to set the table. Just as Sasuke began to wrap up, his cell phone rang. When a picture of his adorable wallflower popped up, he smiled.

Dropping his studious and uptight demeanor, he answered, "Hanako."

Hanako, his girlfriend, represented everything he wanted. Cute, smart, and reserved, she attracted him like no other. This was why he didn't see any of the obvious signs. It took a full minute before she replied. "S-Sasuke?"

"Hm?" The boy asked.

"Can we talk?" In a quizzical tone, she continued, "Is that alright?"

For some reason his heart rate increased. He looked down at the carpeting. "We're talking now, aren't we?" He put his books back on the sloppy pile from which he had taken them. He froze when the unmistakable sounds of uneven breaths. He raised a brow. "Are you okay?" Suddenly the girl became talking one hundred words a second in a shaky hardly audible voice. Urgency ran through him, "Hanako?" She supposed obviously hearing his anxious tone. "Sasuke, can we meet somewhere?" He heard the stress on each syllable and the raw emotion gathered in her throat and could not deny her. "Where?" He asked softly.

After hanging up, Sasuke snuck out of his bedroom window and jogged to the park. When he got there, he saw Hanako on a swing. By the look of it, she had been there for quite a while. Smiling devilishly to himself, he took the back entrance. In less than a minute, he was behind her. Without fair warning, he embraced her from behind. The Uchiha felt her stiffen and heard a gasp. Before she began struggling, he bent his head and positioned his lips just above hers. Arms moved loosely around her neck as he gave the most tender kiss of his life. Despite the insensitive response received in return, he spent a few more minutes loving her mouth.

Sasuke, engrossed in his delusions, saw nothing unusual. He should have known. It had been a week since they last spoke.

"Hana-chan, I missed you." At that moment, he realized he dug in too deep. The two of them froze.

Sasuke couldn't believe what just came out of his mouth. It would not sound like much to any spectator; a mere stranger could never guess the significance of his words. An 'I miss you' equated to only one thing in an Uchiha man's language.

An unspoken 'I love you' hung between them. The wetness in his girlfriend's eyes told him she knew it too. He saw a smile tug at her lips and his heart did a flip. "Hana-chan?" She questioned. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks.

Not only did he give the girl a practical love confession, but he also gave her a cutesy nickname. He couldn't deny his words. That _thing _in his chest wouldn't let him.

Hanako erupted in a fit of giggles. Feeling that she reciprocated the feelings through her laughter, he eased. That delicate laughter of hers was his undoing. Slipping his fingers into those midnight tresses, he leaned down for another kiss. That time, she kissed him back. A goodbye kiss, he knew now, a sweet last resort. It was a mere touching of the lips displaying the final mutual feelings between the two. He had given a few himself and he hated how much he became excited over it.

In haste, the girl broke the kiss. She jumped to her feet defensively. "H-How can you d-do that?" Her voice shook worse that it did before. "H-How c-can you suddenly say that," she asked in her confusion apparent. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"We haven't seen e-each other in a least a w-week." She clarified.

He stared at her. "I know language isn't your best subject, so I'll spare you the stress. 'I missed you' is what most people say when they _haven't _seen someone in a while," he teased deliberately misreading the question. Streetlights hovered over them as the last bit of daylight disappeared. She fidgeted. It had to have been after six. She always swore she had to be home by five. Why was the girl breaking her strict curfew?

"Why did you call me here Hanako?" His onyx eyes bore into the female figure in front of him. Ghost white eyes quivered. She hugged herself.

"Did you get into a fight with your dad again?" His inquiry wasn't well received. She turned away from him completely. He stepped over the swing and neared toward her. "Let me guess. You got another eighty eight on a test?" The Hyuga tensed further. Did he hit the mark? She turned back around and stepped back realizing how close they were. Hanako touched her swollen lips and another blush crept on her face. He couldn't suppress the smile creeping on his lips.

Somehow, she blossomed into a cuter version of herself.

He realized they'd accomplish nothing with her sudden roundabout manner.

Therefore, it was up to him. Brushing her cheek lightly with his pointer finger. The flirtatious gesture got him an 'eep'. He chuckled and then offered gentle words of encouragement. Sasuke didn't even know he possessed such empathy. The girl made him soft and with each kindness he gave her, he gradually absorbed it into his disposition. As she relaxed, he too unwound. When he pulled her into another hug, he realized just how much he cared for her…how much trust he offered to that slowly dying relationship.

"I won't be able to meet you," she confessed.

"Is that why you're so sad?" He asked. "Was that what you and your dad argued about?"

"Yes…no."

"We can still see one another," he told her. She gave up her spot on his shoulder to give him a disbelieving look. "You have to vent your daddy issues some kind of way." Seeing her shocked look made him give lopsided smile, "If you want, we can go and elope." He heard her giggle.

Just when he thought their jubilancy would never end, Hanako snatched away from him. "I want a divorce!"

"We're not even married," he chuckled. Then understanding caught him at full blast.

He didn't know how long he had been standing there. The girl came from behind him and pulled out a bag that seemed to materialize from nowhere.

"My things." He stated knowingly easily taking the bag from the girl's pale, trembling hand. Casually she began to walk away, but his voice surely trembling with the betrayal and fury he felt, pulled her back in. "Tell me why."

He softened when he heard a choked sob erupting from the girl's mouth. Being enveloped in the darkness gave Hanako no upper hand. Those boiling emotions subsided.

"Hanako answer me." He saw her flinch. It didn't take long for those crocodile tears to fall down her eyes. Instantly he froze. If he knew what he knew now, he would've laughed at her.

'I-I c- c- c-can't." She gasped. "N-No more. Please n-no more." Her lips quivering she looked at him again. "Nothing I can say or do can make you happy." She shut her eyes and let out a raspy breath. Before he knew it, she was in his arms _again_. Idiot. "Let me go." All the rage he stored evaporated. Instinctively he knelt down to kiss her. Big mistake.

Hanako did everything all his exes hadn't the gall to do.

"It's over!" Without so much as a glance, she ran.

Confused, so very confused, the lad stood there. The only thing that occupied his attention was the wet stain on his shirt.

Despite all that had been said, he had missed her.

Stupid….stupid!

The poor device, unused, collected dust on his nightstand.

No one called him.

Nobody _dared_.

Since their breakup, the Uchiha had been in a shitty mood. Even the usually audacious Naruto avoided him. He exchanged jibes with random, meek, people. Practically everyone became his prey. Vulgarities passed through his throat.

Everyday, he wallowed in self-contempt. Maybe he had been too straightforward with her. Maybe she was too scared to call him. Every time those weary eyelids finally closed, a picture of Hanako's red puffy face flashed. Soon, he became worried more than anything else. The Hyuga seemed reluctant to end the relationship. Suspicions intensified when he called her and instead of that melodious voice, he heard: _This phone number has been disconnected. _

Like a good, caring, boyfriend Sasuke became concerned. He neglected to accept the notion that he had been _**dumped**__. _D-U-M-P-E-D.

Stupid Uchiha pride…useless Hyuga pride.

When he consulted his brother, a detective, Itachi simply shrugged. "No Hyuga has been reported missing."

"Are you sure?"

At that, Itachi raised a brow. "Is there something you'd like to confess to Sasuke?"

He glared at the older Uchiha, which only earned him a laugh. Tired of Itachi's teasing, he stood up to leave the man's bedroom. "Where are you going?"

"I'm heading over to the Hyuga complex." Sasuke stated matter a factually.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why not?"

"There's probably a reason why her phone is disconnected." Itachi reasoned. "Perhaps she has some family issues. You could make them worse by going there." Grunting Sasuke turned away. Outsiders were discouraged. By going there, he could get the Hyuga in a heap of trouble.

"Why don't you go out for a walk," his older brother suggested, "I'm sure she's fine."

Due to his suspension from the dojo (he broke some kid's nose), Sasuke had no way to unleash his frustration. Words could only do so much for that notorious temper the youth had inherited. Slowly, he gave in to his brother's words.

Aimlessly, Sasuke strolled. Soon evening took over and harsh bitter winds swept through the streets. A curse escaped those chapped lips.

Rubbing his arms, he looked for some shelter. The roaring of car engines and honks finally rang in his eyes. While the streets were only slightly littered, the hedonistic air exposed its urban-like qualities.

A dull ache in his heels told him how far he traveled. Weighing all his options, Sasuke believed it best to settle down in a quaint little shop to rest. From experience, he knew stressing oneself in his current condition would only complicate matters. He spotted several restaurants, small dealerships, and recreation centers most of which were closed. No soliciting signs hung all over the most relaxing establishments. He looked at the time. No buses ran at the current hour and taking the train was expensive. Clutching his cell phone, he pondered on whether to call Itachi. Finding the resolve to not swallow anymore of his pride, he continued his fruitless search.

Just as he was about to call it quits, he caught sight of a small motel. With his dashing looks, undoubtedly, he'd be able to obtain the pity of a maid or better yet a desk attendant. He was dead wrong. All the workers had been guys and the only one willing to was willing to do so for a certain _exchange_. "Creepy old man," Sasuke muttered leaving the warm and comfy motel.

Looking up, he noticed flashing neon colored words: Late Night Bowling Bash. Partially recalling a dopey blonde mentioning it, he went inside. The fee had been pocket change, literally. Considering Naruto's usual tastelessness, he expected it to be lame. To his surprise, the bowling alley emitted a festive air. Only a fraction of the partygoers actually bowled. Everyone else either danced, flirted, or chattered to their hearts content. However, he cared little for it. The only happiness brought on by the room was a nice, spongy, loveseat.

"I was wondering what the girls were gawking at," a familiar voice said. Sasuke opened his eyes groggily, not realizing he had been sleeping. "You nod off like that again and the girls will jump you."

Once his eyes focused, he realized it was Kiba. "Sasuke, man, I can't believe you decided to show!" The seventeen year old turned around to meet a merry Inuzuka. Okay, someone spiked the punch. Snide green-eyed Kiba happy to see _any _Uchiha?

"So how'd you get in?"

Sasuke blinked, "I just paid."

"They just let you in?" Kiba asked. When he nodded, the boy surprisingly laughed. Not liking the sight of Kiba hovered over him bellowing, he rose to his feet. "Man, we spent weeks working on those fake Ids and they just let you in, wait 'till we tell Naruto this!" Uncomfortably he allowed the doggish youth to pull him to the group.

Unlike Kiba, the blonde hadn't been shocked. "It's 'cause he's a pretty boy," Naruto grumbled. Aside from those two dopes, he wasn't acquainted with any one else in the group. Even with his status as junior president, he couldn't place any of them. They probably couldn't get anyone else in their school to come; only respectable people would decline.

It was a school night and those two were out partying. If he had even an ounce of his normal disposition, he threaten to rat them out. All that anxiousness in him had been blown out from his long hours of walking. He looked at his cell phone again. It was a quarter to twelve. He left his home nearly six hours ago.

"It might not look like it, but this party had been a real downer when we got here," Kiba's voice broke through the music. "A wonderful flower and her crew came in and spiced up the joint."

"Those chicks sure are pretty," a boy said, "I came only because I heard they'd be here."

"This guy," the Inuzuka claimed, "Was about to start a fight with the janitor 'cause he stepped in a puddle. Then realized he made it!"

"Those four are mouth watering," another one said, "I heard they stirred up some trouble at a few clubs northeast."

"What kinda trouble," Naruto asked.

"All the guys dropped dead," he answered sipping his drink.

Kiba howled. "Must've been old," Sasuke quipped.

"You're blind." They had no idea.

Naruto had been pretty quiet throughout the whole affair. He kept giving him unsure looks in the corner of his eye. "He just too lazy to look."

"I'm going to introduce you to them." Kiba said as he began pulling him along. Sasuke pulled himself out the boy's grasp. Dang it, could he just mope like any normal teenager for once? All he wanted to do was to drink his coca-cola in peace, sit down in a comfy seat, and take a bucket worth of aspirin. Or better yet, where the heck was the booze?

Being around blissful and hair-brained college students made him feel sluggish and miserable. He aged one hundred years in just the twenty minutes he had been there. Little did he know, lady luck hadn't enough of her Uchiha Sasuke roast fest.

"Don't do that," Naruto said.

"Why not?" Kiba asked.

"He might get his heart broken." Some random guy answered, "Those girls really are gorgeous even Sasuke won't stand a chance."

The boy snorted, "All the more reason to get them acquainted."

"I'm not in the mood," Sasuke hissed. "You will be when you see them!" Kiba countered.

"I doubt it," the boy groaned, "The last girl you 'acquainted' me with turned out to be nuts." His thoughts lingered to another ex of his. The teenager had been a disciple to Saint Neurotic. She had been baptized by the priest, Bizarre, a patron to the house Insalubrious. (that's a result of taking Kakashi's Advanced English Class) He let her know it too. Just thinking about it made him age yet another century. By the kindness of someone up there being sensible, the delusional chit drew her attentions to some other poor sap. Every time Kiba 'spread the wealth' and displayed some sort of decency, calamity struck.

"I'm not setting you up; I just want you to meet them that's all."

"That's all," he asked doubt underlying each word, "You won't leave me to get guzzled by any beastly tart?"

"I have no idea what you just said," Kiba said scratching his head. "But if you're in trouble, I'll distract them with my charms." That wasn't comforting at all. If it hadn't been by the coaxing(mocking) he received by other guys, he wouldn't have so much as given them a glance. When he did, he heard Kiba's laugh. His mouth fell open.

Through the chaos the strangers around him created, he spotted _her_.

Wearing _tight _black jeans and a white tank top was Hanako, his supposedly coy ex, dancing up a storm in the midst of horny teenagers. She _grinned_. She _laughed. _No giggles just whole-hearted laughter. That time she turned all the way around, eyes glittering and posture erect. Just then, she exposed that 'upper crust' side to her. She exhibited all that a Hyuga should be. When their eyes met, his heart began to beat wildly. Outraged and betrayed, he stood there gapping. A small smirk rose on her lips as she twirled around and showed off her curves.

She-Devil.

Cool as ice, he speed-walked out of there.

A lie, the whole relationship had been a lie. As his ego crumbled, his thoughts had been of how stupid he had been. He sympathized toward that…that **man eater**!

Unbeknownst to him, Naruto had followed him. "I'm sorry."

He turned around, "What?"

"I knew she was going to be here," the blonde confessed.

Surprisingly, he didn't yell. He offered no more indication he was upset. If he hadn't been so emotionally diluted, he would've given himself a standing ovation.

"Tell me more." For the sake of his pride, he needed to fill in the blanks. He needed to feel it hadn't been his fault. In the darkest crevasses of his mind, a voice begged him not to ask. However, that voice could no longer be trusted so he pushed it back.

The Uchiha listened to his friend's tales of the infamous Toxic Blossom also known as the Thorny Flower, Baby-faced brute, number one party enthusiast, and white-eyed wizard. All of which were behind her back. To her face they called her either by her given name or Hana-chan.

Despite her reputation as both a heartbreaker and an imp, she and her hot posse were well received. While Hanako wasn't the prettiest, she was the most flexible and honeyed of the bunch. Apparently, she also had a mystery around her. Naruto saw her only once before the Uchiha introduced them (reluctantly) two months ago. Hearing the misdeeds of past sweethearts might cheer some guys up, but it didn't faze Sasuke in the slightest.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sasuke asked smoothly.

"Well, you looked so happy," Naruto explained, "I didn't want to ruin it for ya. Hanako didn't seem that way. I thought all the rumors were lies."

"We broke up three days ago." Sasuke stated bluntly.

"Ouch." Naruto winced. "And you've been dating for a year too, right?"

Hot and heavy make out sessions turned into light pecks on the cheek. Declarations of adoration became noncommittal conversations. Slowly, she slipped away from him and he, oblivious, did nothing to stop it. He _couldn't _do anything. The girl had plotted their breakup for weeks. Yes, the heartthrob realized, he had been blind.

Naruto called his godfather to come and pick them up. When he got home, he figured his mom would be up waiting for him.

To his surprise, he found Itachi sitting on the couch watching a game show. "He covered for me," He mused as he took off his shoes.

"Want to talk about it?" His sibling asked looking over his shoulder.

"I'm alright." Strangely, he had been telling the truth. He slipped under the covers and continued the next day in a typical Sasuke fashion. With every hour, it seemed his affection for the Hyuga dwindled. When he finally settled into a Hanako-less lifestyle, two weeks later, he spotted a furry purple shoulder bag near his closet. It took him a while to find a conceivable reason as to why a bag, stolen from Barbie's magical kingdom, was in his room.

Needless to say, when he did he wasn't at all happy. Picking it up like it was a used napkin, he went downstairs to the kitchen. Mikoto had finished cooking and had put the food on the counters to cool. Without a second thought, he put the bag in the oven and set it to three hundred degrees. Silently, he set the table.

By the time anyone noticed, dinner had been served.

"Do you smell something burning?" Mikoto inquired.

"Nothing," Sasuke stated before taking a small sip of his water. At that time, Itachi had come back from work. He gave them both a small smile, which they both returned. Just as he was about to sit down and join them he cocked his head toward the kitchen. "Do you smell something?" His older brother asked. Disinterested, Sasuke continued to pile food into his mouth.

Just then, the fire alarm kicked in. Itachi and their mother bolted to the kitchen.

"What the hell!" Mikoto never cursed. Still too numb to be impressed, Sasuke took another bite of his fish. "Delicious," he mumbled.

"S-S-Sasuke!" Upon hearing his mother's scream, he too went to the kitchen. He raised a brow. Apparently, his antics had broken the stove. Big deal. That thing had been around since old man Sarutobi's inauguration. Like Tsunade said, "in with the out, and old with the new." Ah, scandalous community conferences. Have to love them.

He eyed the shriveled thing in her hand. Everything inside of it had melted. Cheap trinkets.

"Are you insane?" Mikoto asked. She looked like she was about to strangle him. It had obviously been him so he confessed. "Why'd you do it?"

He contemplated for a moment. Earnestly trying to come up with a decent reason. Alas he found none, so he shrugged, "Teenage Hormones."

0000-

I learned a few things while writing this chapter.

1. Knowledge is medicine.

2. Reviews are like money.

And Less poetically:

3. I want them

Don't be a Kiba and "spread the wealth" nicely.

Got my profile to see about the future of this fic and what the heck I was thinking when creating it.


	2. Emotional Roller-coaster

**Hush-Hush **

1) Castrate Kiba.

2) Nail Naruto to the floor.

3) Burn Kakashi's collection of lewd hardbacks.

Sasuke scrutinized his to-do list rather calmly. Parts of his brain drenched with malevolence and other synonymous word toxins believed that a large portion were reasonable, if not ingenious, routes to undertake. It was karma at its finest. Forget that all powers to be played hide and go seek with his fortune daily for the bogeyman conducted his moral choo-choo train.

Sadly, the Junior President Uchiha Top Hat (such a fine title) half of his jumbled mind warned exasperatedly that hide and go seek was too tedious to play (thus never being his game) and that the bogeyman could easily be defeated by soft tissues and nasal spray. Also, posh persons like he never descended to murdering thus only the last four could be done.

Sitting in a in a plush chair in front of the glowing screen he resembled a regal portrait hung in the Land Of Fire's museum of Hidden Depths. The parody did not cease there.

On a webpage, unlocked by a disclosed code, lied his troubles that seemed to pile with every millisecond.

Sasuke did not like Ninjabook, wire, The Tobi, or any other mockery of a social networking site. With his zillions of "friends", he found himself creating a totally separate email for the tomfoolery. Turning off the notifications was a big no-no. The site's owner personally informed him that the number of complaints regarding his neglect trampled those of cyber bullying and hackers. Termination led to threats of just that. They also said they'd hack his account, his computer, and display all his search history for everyone to see. Since then, it has been his loathsome outlandish mission to see to responses every other Tuesday.

He actually preferred the account deletion.

It was what happened on that shoddy site that led him to believe those five were bored imps or at best wicked idols heaved from the heavens (or erupted from the depths of hell) to cleanse his sinful soul from all the misdeeds in his past life by moral flogging.

Like always, the series of events began with one mischievous dog-lover.

"I really _hate _that guy," Sasuke said.

His eyes came to the screen reluctantly.

To all admirers (eroticists),

_Sasuke-revolutionaries (Mr., Ms, or Mrs. Prowler ), friends (parasites), enemies (follow me on .haters): it seems our beloved (or de-loved) Uchiha has taken a whiff of the reality serum. _

_He's been deflated. The guy's lost his balls cause he's been tripping too hard on the acidic substance known as HB. Sasuke's illness includes regression. Instead of putting on his big boy pants, he's going to be juvenile (ya know, the kiddy version of jerk a**) and declare all girls have cooties. HB, __**heart break**__, is known to result in months of rehabilitation. _

_Feel free to __**invite **__him to a crap __**load **__of your gatherings-__**spam his inbox**__! Do it before he crawls his mother's vag and goes into an even more undeveloped state._

_Sincerely, your lord and master, Kiba Inuzuka. _

500 comments.

1500 messages in his inbox.

Did he post it to Sasuke Lovers R US?

There was a pause in his thoughts.

Feverishly, he began typing and had reverse shock.

The predicted stupidity launched an automatic "chill" serum to his brain, preventing a rupture of his psyche.

Good thing too; Kakashi ran up a lot of his time as his psych. Damn him doubling majoring in college.

Sasuke groaned. It really bothered him. He hardly ever thought about _her _anymore. Honestly, he couldn't stomach the thought of her. It ruined all his food and if he broke another household appliance, his mother was going to kick him out the house and force him to get a job. He loved the luxury of higher education.

"What does it feel like to be the most known person in the universe," a female voice cooed.

_Cooed. _

Curse the gods!

In a reddish floral patterned dress, the statuette goddess of the theater peered down on him with an impish grin.

Lee's words, not his.

"Shitty, as usual."

She giggled.

To him, Haruno Sakura was somewhere between a pain and an actual human being.

When he wasn't feeling brotherly love for her, he wanted to cram a crayon down her throat.

They grew up together. They used to share the same bed with a certain blonde and ran a gum smuggling ring together. Ah, Kindergarten.

Once middle-school hit, Sakura developed _feelings. _While Sasuke always remembered her as a sweet and shy kid, he didn't think anyone could get as sensitive as middle-school Sakura.

The girl developed...eccentrics and with them drew her national attention, then global attention.

Whenever they met, whatever she did, there always seemed to be a "Look at me" sign on her forehead.

Nowadays that seemed to die down and Sakura became a bit more toned down.

She left her theatrics for the stage.

"So what have you been up to?"

There was a hesitation that betrayed her.

"You've heard?"

Caught off guard Sakura backed away then, reluctantly, nodded.

The girl averted her gaze to the floor. "Ino told me while I was in Paris."

Sasuke stood, enraged, "I thought I told you to stay away from Yamanaka!"

She bit her lip. "We met by chance..."

He sighed.

No use in being too mad at her...

He titled his head a bit and leaned in closer to the girl's heated face.

Sakura's blush increased as he moved to touch her head.

"You cut your hair."

Sasuke examined her snipped tresses, all pink and silky, and, when he found no wires or bulky hairclips, he stopped.

"Sasuke...I..."

He arched a brow then leaned back.

He supposed it would be crude to do a full body search.

Sasuke just didn't trust that Yamanaka.

Or rather it was her "boys" he couldn't bring himself to lax around.

He watched as her knees buckled a tad and he braced himself.

The girl's eyes dilated and within one miss-step, he caught her and brought her to him...

"Like a bad girl's comic."

"Dobe!"

And down Sakura went.

Cameras flashed to capture the scene.

The SasuSaku shiptease they were used to, but the very literal stumble of their play was something they wanted framed.

"This is a library not a photo shoot!" Sakura chided as she threw her best "pouty" face at the camera. She even moved her leg to tease them a bit more.

Damn, why were blondes such a bad influence?

"Sakura cover yourself!" Sasuke yelled. "Naruto, stop drooling! Don't you see what you made me do!"

"Cheese for the yaoi, fangirls!"

Naruto and Sasuke's vision became sparkly and their eyes felt like they'd been violated by razors.

"Tenten!" The boys screamed.

"'Sup Chairman and squire," Tenten drawled as she curtsied ironically.

The girl wore the boys' black and orange uniform. Although Sasuke fought tooth and nail for her to abide by the rules, he had to admit it suited her nicely, at least better than the female uniform had.

"I told you, I'm 'president', not chairman."

"Well ur the main lemon nevertheless," she joked. She put the camera back around her neck. "See you around boys!"

Sasuke sighed.

"She's still the same as ever," Sakura said.

"She should be graduating this year, it isn't the time to be messing around."

"At least she's doing her job."

Sasuke glared in Naruto's direction. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that while you're on the net flirting with your fans actual work isn't being done!"

"What the hell would you know about work being done, dobe?"

"Apparently more than you, you blind shit-head!"

"Imbecile!"

"Asswipe!"

"Bungler!"

"Use words I actually know!"

After his tirade of revenge against Naruto for another of his pranks, he'd been suspended from the dojo.

...Again.

That led to a lot more verbal battles, which neither of them were really good with.

Sakura wondered if they took their insults for the discounted oral bin at the Cliché & Crash then she recalled the chain went bankrupt.

In the midst of her mental snark, a gentle and firm hand placed itself on her head.

Her heart did a few laps along Dream-Come-True Lane and sprang back into lala hotel.

She was being petted.

But the monster came from underneath her bed and raked her mind like a nightmare.

The girl dared to hope and surely that would lead to her downfall.

Hard logic iced her heart.

Hesitant and light, Naruto poked her shoulder.

When she turned around, he didn't see Sasuke's Sakura, but his...

His chewed on, scaling that slippery slope, cherry blossom.

Before he meant to, he spoke the words he couldn't begin to ready himself to hear, "there's always a chance Sakura-chan..."

Sakura left.

Naruto knew what was on Sakura's mind.

The way his face would go all innocent, like everything was a wonder.

How passionate he was about everything.

How perfect he was in absolutely every way despite him being so drastically flawed.

She knew things about him that would cause other fangirls to melt in jealousy.

But, most importantly, she knew could never be good enough.

Knew.

And that's what all other admirers failed to obtain.

True finality. True boundaries.

Who dared to hope save fools like him?

With the next bell, he opened up a pack of ramen. "Where's the microwave again?" He called out to the librarian.

Food for thought.

0000

Outside, in the wild outskirts of Political Dogma and immoral shimmying, dark locks ran into the dramatic winds. Her skin looked like it hungered for sunshine and her eyes betrayed nothing of her soul. The red-green pleated plaid skirt rustled and her collar trembled from her sneezes.

There were puffed dark circles underneath those hollow eyes. Face forever tightened into a frown, a fist rested below her chin.

She sat at the picnic table keeping her eyes on the condiments, making sure the napkins were set the way mother would've wanted them.

_Dear Hanabi, _

_I cannot keep up with this farce anymore._

She sniffled.

_It is my deepest regret that you had to find out like this._

Her head lowered and lowered until it smacked onto the wood.

_Please keep smiling Hanabi. _

Throbbing.

Pain-pain, e-e-everywhere-

Everywhere she touched...

_You're the head of the family now Hanabi. _

"No!"

Soda and juice poured over the lettuce and cucumbers, drenching the table cloth. She grabbed a corner and pulled, pulled with all her might, until everything was littered on the ground.

Savagely, she poured her heart into the grand finale, twisting and picking up all the things _she _loved and tore them asunder. Breaking them into tiny irreconcilable bits, burying them in the ground. Nails broken, invading her scratches, causing pain-memorable pain.

On her knees, in agony,

Begging...

Oh, gods, begging for it to all be a horrible nightmare.

When it was enough for her troubled, young heart, she collapsed face first into the ground, her right hand pressed against the pepper shaker.

Neji approached her, his new leader, with no admiration.

Or disgust for that matter.

Just the same blanket for pity he used to keep the girls warm at night.

Lightning sparked.

When it rained...

00000

Sometime later, in the rush of Kakashi's Vocab Bonanza, a thunderous scream rocked the corridors.

"Uchiha!"

Sasuke smirked.

Council Mission #401 accomplished.

Back to normal.

...or was it?

Sasuke frowned and turned to the next page in _The Chronicles of Nebulous Certainty. _

A/N:

Did I just update? I wanted this chapter to be a tad more longer and more detailed, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Perhaps next time? Sasuke's a bit OOC. I kind of implied an explanation here, but I'll have to elaborate later. -wink-

Also, for the sake of a "show, don't tell" principle, I'm going to be telling the story more sequentially with less "noodle incidents".

Help me put in some new additions for this rollercoaster ride and review!


	3. Non-Climax

"I'm throwing you backward to propel you forward."-DOSS

Showing you misplaced esteem since 2008.

**Hush-Hush**

Chapter 3: Climax

_Describe the climax of your life. _

What is the climax of a person's life? If everyone truly has a story, at one point does it spike? Does it escalate at the moment the clown gets the pie thrown in his face or when the curtain is coming down, forcing him to reveal his true face to the darkness? Or would that be the resolution of his life? Sasuke wondered, perhaps not as poetically as Aristotle and he wasn't going as far as to denounce his brain juices like Socrates.

What exactly is the climax, a orgasmic point of a shoddily pieced together collective? If so, wouldn't every moment of an ill paced soap opera count?

Kakashi always brought up interesting points.

Maybe the ultimate climax was the recognition;

When a person's eyes opened wide and their heart clenched at the doom.

...Perhaps his mother was right and he needed a lot more therapy.

000

The district's main law enforcement office housed approximately 700 staff members, 550 of which were bound by blood by Uchiha. 75% (seventy-five percent) of the staff were licking their lips at their pension and already drooling at the prospect of tropical beaches and, for those lonely old bachelors, anti-aging security blankets that's brain tissue could barely spark a fire.

Naturally at a desk in the far corner, some feet away from the entrance, parked right in front of the dango-stand and the LDC (lost dog center aka. Inuzuka help desk), was Uchiha Itachi's desk looking over some paperwork his no good boss (and third cousin) placed on his desk. Being an Uchiha, Itachi just stared at the documents as if they were meteor that crashed landed next to his espresso and standard bowl of mints. Unlike his brother, he wasn't a stickler for paperwork and enjoyed working the streets. However, detective work paid the bills and they damn sure needed that new oven. Itachi recalled the melting plastic and the sparking of the wires with a smile.

Everyone that saw Itachi and that chip of a grin look on his face knew that he was having a "Sasuke moment". Itachi barely talked, but when he did it was often about his brother. When he first started, five years ago, he had a collage of baby photos of Sasuke on his desk.

Uchihas needed obsessions in their lives, so they let it go. The only reason it wasn't there currently was because Sasuke threw a fit and threatened truancy. Despite the oxymoron (Sasuke would hyperventilate), he chose to humor his baby brother.

The hairs on the back of his next stood up. Itachi straightened. "Yes Anko?"

A frustrated growl then a _MROWWWW_.

"Damn it Uchiha, how did you know it was me?"

If Itachi's face wasn't etched into robotic phase three, he'd have graced the older woman with a roll of his eyes. Anko simply couldn't bother herself with remembering his name, hence the "Uchiha". She did, however, remember his hair, which she pointed out was looking rather luxurious compared the awful milk color of the walls. Anko, a fellow detective, _hated _the color white, and preferred bloodshot walls instead of a less ulcer inducing interior.

They were partners.

Except not really.

It was a purely nominal relationship. His "senior" only came within ten-foot-pole distance of him when the boss's voice could beat her banshee-like screams.

Forget ulcers; Anko's very presence could split atoms and he could feel himself stepping back in the evolutionary process as Anko, rudely, chomped on a dango and gulped some freaky get-your-mojo back juice inherited by outdated feudal culture. If he was right, it was the same stuff that put Rock Lee in a coma last year, yet she swigged it back as if it were air.

"So whatcha workin' on?"

"Paperwork."

"Not that, I'm talking about the important stuff."

Itachi brought out two vanilla folders from the desk drawer and placed them onto his desk.

Of course, Anko snatched him up causing his paperwork to fall onto the floor.

Of course, she didn't even notice.

Hyuga Hinata, age 15, reported missing 5:00pm XX/11/24.

Hyuga [presumed] Hanako, age unknown, reported missing 2:00pm XX/12/3.

"Don't these guys live in like packs or something?"

Itachi shrugged.

The former was a heiress who had a diaphragm practically coated in jewels; she made three times as much as he did simply breathing. Hyugas don't know the meaning of passion, her photo affirmed his point; she sat perfectly still, head titled for emphasis on her good points, even if the creases of her eyes leaked misery. Barely making a headline, never scratching the service of a gossip columnist's smut, she was the pinnacle of all that was Hyuga, taciturn. The girl's throat looked like it had been clogged with moth balls, never having made a sound. Her clothes were silk, her thin frame wrapped in a kimono for her big-wig school's annual portraits.

Hanako, naturally her "cousin's" polar opposite, ran straight for the spotlight and crashed in the headlights, not quite hitting the breaks but somehow ended up moving backwards.

His partner gave him a sideways look, lips puckered. His face gave her a sour feeling. Something about the brat wasn't _right. _Anko knew she had no business acting self-righteous and she was all up for differing opinions (loved those heated brawls), but Itachi had more than a few screws loose. Barely anyone saw it, but there was this stench radiating off of him,

like a killer.

He was otherworldly, a celestial trapped in the body of a cockroach that could only crawl through the larvae.

However, Itachi was the chief's prize detective for a reason. He had powerful insight and she sometimes swore his eyes turned red. Admittedly sometimes she'd be attracted to that look of his, but they were on very different ends of the spectrum. A cockroach can eat its own young. Both may be cannibalistic, but a cockroach is more likely to weasel out of it unscathed. Snakes bear the scars.

They were much more human, much, much, more.

00

Hanako's face was smushed up against the glass. She was pressed up against "Grandma" Chiyo and the tumor sane people called a heart.

It grew and grew, robbing her of sleep, its rhythm banging on her mind, and the skeletons rumbled around in her mental closet.

The cushion wasn't plush enough for her "royal hiney".

She wasn't enjoying the train ride as much as she thought she would.

For starters, she had a classic case of motion sickness.

She hated looking out the window; the world sped passed her as if repulsed.

Hanako grasped the case with her diploma and bit her lip in the tumult of her feelings. Her cell phone vibrated but she ignored the nagging on her hip. Chiyo snored lightly and squashed her body more as she leaned into her. The girl "eeked", but did no more than that. Grandma Chiyo, not really her grandmother, was an established performer with many connections.

She knew many people including the Hot-Hot Blossom Crush commercial girl Hanako was very fond of; Chiyo had shown her a picture with the two of them at an awards ceremony.

Hanako breathed a bit when the train skidded to a stop.

Her eyes took in the scene outside the window. Afternoon rush.

In her peripheral vision, Hanako caught the sight of spiky blonde hair, which was unusual for that part of the region. She tried to move without disturbing her meal-ticket, she shifted and even put her knee to the wall to gain some leverage in an effort to breath properly.

The boy-no, Hanako observed, the _man _seated in front of her looked rather amused and was even chuckling. He wore a modestly brown suit, his eyes were rimmed with square framed glasses, and his blonde eyes twinkled with each chuckle he made. Handsome, no gorgeous, drop-dead gorgeous...

"I see your grandmother is tuckered out."

The train began to move again and there was a light humming from the mechanics motioning across the tracks. Her lower lip trembled. She didn't like to make idle chatter with strangers. Averting her eyes, she nodded.

"Has it been a long ride for you two?"

Again, a nod.

That seemed to satisfy him because he stopped pestering her for the moment. Instead his face pulled into a frown. He was no doubt put off by her attitude. He looked at his watch, a silver platinum _Flash Band _if she had any eyes.

Chiyo's snores changed to dreamy sighs.

The man pushed the glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "Where are your parents?"

"...dead."

Only a half-truth.

"I see," he mumbled, "I'm sorry for your loss." Indeed his eyes conveyed compassion.

She gripped the case in her hands tighter.

She gripped the case in her hands tighter.

The man took out a pen from his shoes and a notepad from his pants pocket. He began to scribble something. "I want to show you somet-"

His pen fell out of his hand, rolling underneath her feet.

Hanako found it odd, but motioned to pick it up reflexively.

Unfortunately Chiyo acted like an anchor. She pushed down with all her might, her chest hitting her knees uncomfortably. She watched as the man before her leaned forward.

Darn! How could she fall for the oldest trick in the book!?

Her face reddened.

The train stopped causing the girl to jerk forward.

_The doors are opening. _

Instantly, with a speed unimaginable by man, he grabbed her wrist. The images on the train blurred. They speeded across the platform, the air choking her, keeping her from begging him to stop.

Hanako and the perverted geezer ran for blocks. A heel finally cracked causing her to tumble and scrape her knees on the concrete.

He drug her along for a few more feet. The girl tried to collect her breath, bring words from her shattered voice box and more importantly, keep grip on her diploma.

He mumbled about something being heavy.

The man turned and his eyes got really wide. "Oh my! I'm so sorry!" He seemed completely animated. Throwing himself to the ground in concern and apology, he touched her flushed, sweaty face, and the smeared cosmetics. He grabbed her shoulders and brought her to her feet.

Kneeling down he inspected the tattered skirt and cursed.

Hanako stared into the eyes of the stranger before her, his eyes like a sea of tears.

Gods, why couldn't she just have one happy moment in her life?

"W-W-Why d-d-did you d-do that?" Tears brimmed her white orbs. Her face scrunched in anger, fists balled.

The cell phone continued to vibrate making her heart quake even more.

As if they couldn't anymore, those blue eyes softened drowning her in their holder's benevolence.

Why couldn't she escape?

00

Hinata buckled at the pressure and was smothered by the asphalt that is hypocrisy's grace.

Itachi smiled at his realization.

Or as much as Itachi could smile when not fixated on his brother.

"Figure something out?"

"I believe so," Itachi said, "Have any words?"

She grumbled, but put Hanako's file on her desk. She picked out a white piece of paper, marked with lipstick. "Is this really all the evidence we have?"

"We ran a DNA, pure lipstick."

"Probably brand new." Anko drawled. "It seems like a waste just to write a phone number down." She squinted her eyes at it. "Looks familiar."

"To you it would be." Itachi decided it was time to clean up Anko's mess. "It's the number to the morgue."

"I take we didn't find her there."

"Not in the country, though to be honest the chief isn't making her a priority." He picked up a few papers then lounged back in his chair. "The Hyugas didn't report her missing, a friend did. That's the last picture taken of her."

"So we're assuming there's a connection."

"There _is _a connection."

"I don't see what the big deal is, neither of them are minors." Anko closed the vanilla folder. "At least not on this side of the fence."

"Perhaps I'm projecting a tad, Sasuke's around that age and I hear that with elections coming around we're going to be following Sound's example."

"It's a political asspull, honestly they don't give a shit. They're just tired of the peasants picketing since that mine worker blew up that stadium."

"That mine worker was barely twelve."

"They gave him a lax sentence, if you ask me."

"Yeah, spending your life in prison is a _very _lax sentence."

"Whatever Uchiha, you can sit in the left field if you want, but imagine what your life would be like if you couldn't get a job here."

Itachi took a brief moment to exhale.

"I'm just saying that they're kids and it's our job to find them." He took Anko's dango plate and dropped in the garbage.

"I wasn't done!"

"Why don't you do a background check on Hanako? See if you can get more personal..." He opened the file some more. "You see this symbol?" He pointed to the green bull neon sign in the background. "Check out where it's from. I'll interview some of her friends tomorrow."

"Why don't you check out the symbol and I interview?"

Because her interviewing resulted in loss of brain matter and the chief didn't like paying out of pocket for civilian expenses.

"Because I'm doing paperwork for two, that's why," he tried to say it as pleasantly as he could.

For the sake of defying bureaucracy, Anko simply got her jacket and left.

Finally, some peace.

Itachi looked over the files again and found their contents very flawed. There were many gaps within period's of Hinata's life not to mention nearly nothing on Hanako. Hinata's files neglected mentioning her health issues. It was designed to give an unrealistic portrayal of two drastically different characters whose, seemingly, only connection was their eyes.

If Itachi was right, whoever made these files did so with sole testimony of those filing them missing.

For Hinata, the doting Hanabi and cousin Neji.

For Hanako, the unnamed source, presumed friend.

Lazy idiots.

It didn't take a genius to see that the two were-

"Itachi, you have a visitor!"

The male looked up and met pale eyes.

Immodestly, the figure bowed.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to pay the Hyugas a visit."

"As you can see that won't be necessary."

Itachi tilted his head toward the bowl on his desk. "Mint?"

"No, thank you."

Read as: Go to Hell.

Neji, something like a pit-bull, protected his cousins' virtue with the same effectiveness as a birth control pill. As in, he'd come in and wipe everything clean, destroying the nature of things and spraying sight-be-gone into the eyes of the already blind.

He, like Neji, could already see where things were lining up.

He heard that Hyuga, Hanabi, a haughty elementary school kid walked in hot-faced one afternoon clothed in her school uniform and her ballet slippers. In a manner typical of Hyugas, she demanded the finding of her kaa-sama. Naturally it threw them for a loop since it was a known fact that she had been dead for ten years.

What summoned confusion was the instance that her mother was Hyuga, Hinata.

"I hear that you are taking over Hinata-sama's case?"

Itachi motioned for him to sit.

Neji refused and stilled like a prickly cactus.

"I would prefer if you ceased the search."

The Uchiha leaned forward, folding his fingers in concentration. "May I ask w-"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't."

The older male didn't have time to balk at his lack of respect.

"You might find things better left unknown," Neji stated.

Itachi gave a lopsided smile and leaned in his chair. They had a bit of a stare down, like grownups who desperately wanted to duke it out over split milk, but didn't want to dirty their pants. Yes, that smug stare down that says, "I know something you would literally die to know, but you'll have to bend down and kiss it first."

Moments passed and they were both itching to play their trump card, just to break the other's armor.

Uncharacteristically, Itachi caved, "you mean the fact that Hyuga Hanako isn't an actual person?"

Neji faltered in his gaze and twisted his face in disproval.

"That she's in fact an alias created by the _former _heiress to live the high life smoking and drinking?"

Neji regained his poise. "She doesn't smoke or drink." His tone lightened.

It was Itachi's turn to frown.

What was it he was missing?

"Just a few weeks ago, Hanako was just as real you and me," Neji said, thoughtfully. He played with the files and stared at the photographs. Almost longingly_. _Almost in pain like he lost a limb.

"What is the reason," Itachi started, trying to find something, something to keep that expression from the boy's face. He found it. "What is the reason," he reiterated, "you want to keep the sister-in-law tucked away in a tower?"

The Hyuga nearly had whiplash. "She's not your sister-in-law, Uchiha!" He sneered.

"Itachi!"

He flinched. Oh, no...

Sasuke neared, midstep he was caught in a trance.

"What is _he _doing here?" Neji glowered.

"Who's this?" Sasuke blinked, completely caught off guard by the other boy's intense reaction.

When he saw the veins around those eyes, Itachi knew one thing.

They were going to need a new wall.

A/N:

Really if there's something you guys don't understand, don't hesitate to comment in the reviews. To me, the main goal of reading any literature is to analyze it and empathize with it. As a writer, I want you guys to primarily enjoy it, though I do get caught up on the thinking aspect of it.

With this chapter, I hope this clears some air. Really, I didn't mean for it to be that confusing. I assumed the characterization of "Hanako" with Sasuke in the 1st chapter was kind of blatant, even to my distaste. Though I'm going to admit, I like confusing people, so when Shoma got it, I was like, damn.

So, no, there aren't any OCs. (they're way too effing troublesome). I've been writing fanfiction, albeit crap-like, for awhile. I'm a big kid, so I can handle a little criticism.

Even if you hate this story, please at least recognize my categorizing capabilities.

Thanks to all those that commented.

Knock down some walls and review!


	4. Troubled Youth

*Previous chapters have been revised.

**Hush-Hush**

Chapter 4: Troubled Youth

Sasuke did not know Neji, but apparently the latter's knowledge was paramount, for he barred his teeth. To Sasuke, the Hyuga look very much like a hellhound as he scrapped his sandals along the flooring, seeming to wait for that exact moment to charge.

In an instant, the Hyuga charged at him.

Sasuke moved back, but quickly jerked forward noticing the circular movement the other male made.

They circled around each other for sometime.

One glowering, the other's face merely poised in concentration. Sasuke hunched his back and brought up his arms.

Knee cracking in the air, a socked foot was within a centimeter of Sasuke's nose. Not flinching, not so much as breathing, in a second, Sasuke had Neji's foot with both hands and he made a long jerking motion forward.

Neji did not lose balance and instead used his left foot. Crouching down then bounding upward, landing a kick right in Sasuke's abdomen.

It knocked him back. His grip loosened, causing Neji to jump to readily to his feet. He was crouched like a lion then pursed his lips, eyes slanting.

Knocked back, but like a slinky he came back and squatted.

Neji awaited his move.

Sasuke sprang to his feet and moved his right foot back. He gave a boxer's pose before he lunged forward and...

missed.

Neji had moved his head and was in the process of booting his pretty face. Sasuke ducked.

Unfortunately for him, his arm was still up and Neji grabbed at it.

There was a brief smirk on his face before he jumped again, his long locks hitting the back of Sasuke's head.

The experienced Uchiha moved his weight forward sending them both crashing down.

Sasuke blinked.

The Hyuga had intended serious damage. His arm would've been broken and his shoulder dislocated.

They were twisted together with Neji's arm still clasping his.

With a sharp inhale, Sasuke went to box Neji's nose.

Success. Blood trickled down the other male's nose.

"Ah!"

His forehead pounded at the sharp, quick motion, as a knee-bone helloed his eye-socket.

His vision blurred, but he knew Neji was up again.

Sasuke brought himself to his feet.

Blows met his face. He gasped as another met his abdomen. Instinctively, he grabbed at it and moved forward.

He needed a moment to collect himself.

As soon as his vision cleared, noticed two feet approaching him at unthinkable speeds. He leapt out of the way.

His body grimaced at the dive as his side met the very unkind poking of a lamp's glass shards.

Calm down.

Breathe.

Closing his eyes he tried to focus on the sounds around.

The police officers were in stunned silence. His brother, though usually quick to react, seemed to be rather calm. That struck him as incredibly odd. What had he down to warrant such an assault that even his starred detective brother left him to be beaten to a pulp?

Not that he would be beaten.

He'd show Satan his skeleton before that ever happened.

He leapt and through the blood and his massive headache, the drain on his muscles he awaited for an attack.

When Neji moved, he did and landed three attacks.

One on his face.

One on his side.

A brief elbow to his shoulder blade.

His heart pounded. A sudden rush came to him as he tackled the other boy to the floor, wrestling him for dominance.

The Hyuga's head lashed against the desk behind him and he grabbed for his throat only for Sasuke to use the undersides of his upper arms to make him lose grip.

Once that lazed, he put the Hyuga in a chokehold and regained his breathing. Sweat beaded on his brow, heck he was practically drenched.

Everything was in an uncomfortable rosy color.

His body quaked, the muscles on his body re-tensed and his throat clogged.

He pressed and pressed until he felt fingers drumming on his back.

His head jerked up.

"Two minutes and forty-three seconds."

Onyx met Onyx and down went Sasuke.

00

Despite being in a world of global markets, culture and preservation of the culture are held in very high regard. No open-door policy will change that.

Some things about the Land of Fire can never be understood on a rode map or an internet search.

Like why college students could be nine years old.

Or why there had to be a festival every twelve weeks.

How come there were fourteen districts.

Or how come Rock Lee couldn't stay in the closet and keep his green leotard to himself.

But, we'll have to answer those questions one at a time

By sharing a bits of history and a piece Sasuke's story and subsequently all others.

In feudal times, perhaps even futile times, Emperors reigned supreme. Underneath them were the oodons. The oodons, not liking their name, came together. Whether they dubbed themselves Rai-Men, Ra-Mein, or Ramen (darn those foodies) is a topic that will leave you singed in historian circles.

Ho-Ramien, the emperor of the Land of Fire, split the country into twelve states with one Ra-Mein in each area.

Surprise, one Ra-Mein happened to be the roots of the Uchiha clan. Approximately, 15 centuries ago, the state known as Taiyo overthrew the Ra-Mein by boiling him and making his flesh into a throw rug to present to the Ho-Ramien. For thirteen centuries, Taiyo was an anarchy functioning as a single military unit. Men and women committed themselves to isolationism and brash patriotism.

Children, as young as six, were trained to be soldiers, killers, and martyrs.

However begrudgingly, Taiyo was adopted by the Land of Fire whilst on the brink of an international crisis roughly two centuries ago. As it was law, clans no longer held power and all federal powers rested in the hands of the twelve Soju and the more mediocre state powers were held by the forty-nine Sakes (or generals). That did not include all officials like Sasuke's father, Officer of Public Defense.

During mid-summer, on the day of Heroes, when Sasuke was little and everything was bright and colorful like a crayon box, Fugaku and Mikoto were aiding in preparations for the upcoming festival.

"Itachi, I'm going to station to help your father. Take care of Sasuke, alright?"

Itachi grunted and turned the page of his magazine.

"Don't forget to do your homework."

Itachi grunted again and turned another page.

"Fix dinner. All you have to do is warm it up."

The nine year old boy moved the magazine to show his mother his apathetic yet simultaneously exasperated face. _Just go. _

Mikoto laughed nervously and kissed the boy on the forehead. She leaned down to kiss the sick little boy snuggling up to his toy cat.

"Be careful..." Itachi muttered. He doubted his mother could hear him, but he did not repeat it.

"Sasuke, you awake?"

A low hum was his reply.

"Hungry?"

Sasuke clutched his toy cat tighter. "Did mom leave?"

Itachi nodded then repeated his question. "Hungry?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"You have to eat."

Sasuke sulked and shifted his head pushing it further into the couch cushions.

"Don't you want to grow big and strong?"

"Tired."

"You don't even want the cake dad got you?" Sasuke loved the cake despite his aversion for sweet things.

He shook his head. "I want mom and dad."

Sasuke, being very young, lived in a very self-centric world most of the time.

But even a four year old could worry themselves sick when their dad doesn't come home for days at a time. Sasuke confided in him that he was scared Fugaku's head would explode since he never slept.

It was to the point he couldn't climb out of bed despite it being his birthday.

Babies needed grownups. And although Itachi (and many adults) saw himself as a mini-grownup, Sasuke didn't and couldn't.

Sasuke enjoyed being taught by him, but was very stubborn and defied all the punishments he gave him.

He wasn't the only one and often gave Mikoto a hard time.

However, he adored Fugaku.

Even when he was left in the stroller at the ice cream parlor.

Even after Fugaku accidentally gave him as currency to the Airline receptionist.

Fugaku always played off his mistakes and boomeranged right on back to the boy. No one could say the man didn't cherish his family.

"'Ello Itachi-kun!"

The boy blinked at the window.

That dark cherry head of hair and gigantic grin told him not to open the door.

"Itachi-kun, don't be mean! Let me in!"

Itachi wanted to say, 'not by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin' but being nine...

"Come on, I brought Sakura!"

He looked at his tired brother for permission. Sasuke shook his head.

Itachi grabbed his magazine and went back to reading. They both loved to tease the Uzumakis.

"Minato's bringing Naruto over later!"

There was a long silence.

Ah, apparently he could get a jersey for twenty percent off.

The door knob turned.

"Uzumaki-san, breaking in is a crime."

She humphed. "Mebuki-san needed a babysitter for Sakura. She and Kizashi went on vacation, remember?"

Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Well, what do you expect? I couldn't do it! I have to screen the area."

She came closer revealing the bubble-gum haired toddler.

"You, after all, are a champ at taking care of young ones!"

Itachi nodded. Both he and Kushina agreed that they were all tykes. Kushina moved down a block away after being transferred. At first they all thought she was a spy, but regardless of her intent, Kushina did protect the citizens and even created a task force for children and the elderly. Before, she had been the head of the Missing Person's Bureau and once nailed a perp by sleeping walking to their house.

Legal repercussions aside, Kushina came with a case full of recommendations. Whether they genuinely impressed or whether they wanted her out their hair was completely up to debate.

Sakura pulled at Kushina's police uniform tightly.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, I thought you liked Itachi-kun."

Unbeknownst to Kushina, Itachi had given her a verbal lashing the last time she visited, bringing the hyper-sensitive girl to tears.

She'd knocked over a vase and blamed it on Naruto, who had been playing outside at the time.

Itachi reached out to Sakura and petted her head giving her a silent okay.

She sniffed and hugged him.

"Aw, isn't that cute?"

"What is?"

"Sakura is hugging Itachi."

"Aw, that is cute."

Minato appeared in the doorway with a bouncing Naruto at his side.

"My honeys!" She lifted Naruto and brought him up to a hug.

"Mom, put me down!"

She didn't and continued to swing him around. "You're getting sooooo big!"

The two danced and twirled. Though Naruto wanted to look like a big boy, he enjoyed his mom's play and was dissatisfied when she dropped him on the couch and danced into the arms of his father. She touched his hair and lifted his chin.

"No gray hairs I see."

"I see plenty on you." She embraced him.

"I love my job." He returned it.

"I'm sure you do."

Sakura looked big-eyed at Itachi. Unlike Sasuke, Sakura did see him as a mini-adult. He petted her head again causing her to smile.

Naruto nudged Sasuke with his foot. "You okay?"

"Sick." The boy grumbled.

"You were fine yesterday!"

"How would you know? You weren't here," Sasuke argued.

Naruto scratched his head. "I was, wasn't I?" He looked at Itachi for help.

Itachi shook his head causing Naruto to groan loudly and dump into the couch.

"Ow!" Sasuke growled then kicked him.

That led to a number of ows.

Itachi looked as the two played. "Sakura, do you want cookies?"

"I want a cookie!" Naruto chimed taking a pillow in the face.

"Well, I have to go," Kushina said. "See you later!"

"Take care." Minato called out.

Kushina turned around offering that big goofy grin of hers, hair glowing in the droplets of sun. She gave a final wave and was off.

Itachi closed the door then left for the kitchen. Sakura moved to follow him until she reached Sasuke.

"You sick?"

Sasuke blinked and tilted his head. He seemed to consider her question. "Not anymore." As a matter a fact, he felt a lot better. He could probably lift a car! Sasuke pulled the covers back and hopped off the couch, and landed on his feet. "I'm great!"

Minato sat cross-legged on the ground watching them.

"Don't you work?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm going to school."

Sasuke raised a brow. "Aren't you too old?"

Minato smiled and shook his head.

"So...does that make Ku-chan a cradle robber?"

Itachi dropped the tray of cookies on the floor.

"Where'd you learn that?" Minato laughed and slapped his knee.

Sasuke was very puzzled by his reaction. Naruto looked a little hurt. "Mom's a good guy. She don't rob cradles...do she?"

"Nope." He pulled Naruto's cheek. "We're the same age you see."

The youngest Uchiha crossed his arms. "So why do you go to school?"

"I'm getting a law degree."

Sasuke blinked. "Wow."

It was Sakura's turn to be confused. "What law?"

Sasuke smacked his forehead. "All laws!"

Her eyes got big. "Wow!"

Now, that wasn't necessarily true, but Minato couldn't bring himself to tell them otherwise.

"But...weren't you a teacher before?"

"I do that too, but on the weekends."

"Oh, today's Tuesday." Sasuke nodded his head in approval.

"I brought cookies."

Sasuke stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"I got you juice Sasuke."

The four year old boy took it and smiled. "Sour!"

Minato pushed up his glasses. "Nothing for me?"

"I didn't plan on you staying."

He sweatdropped. "I see."

"Look outside!" Naruto pointed out the window.

"Fireworks!"

Itachi frowned. It was far too early in the way for fireworks.

Sasuke stopped sucking up his juice as he stared out the window.

He backed up, trying to get a better view.

Minato stood and went to see for himself. His happy expression vanished.

His glasses dropped the floor as he dashed for the door. "Stay inside!"

Sasuke peered up at the open door with fearful eyes. Wasn't that where Ku-chan was?

...

The boy ran for the door only for Itachi to pull him away and kick it closed with his foot. He pushed Sasuke to the floor and jumped to bolt the door shut.

Angry tears ran down his baby brother's face.

It was bad.

Very bad.

"Hey, why'd you do that?"

Naruto tried to pull Sasuke up only for the other boy to snatch his arm away.

"Mom and dad are out there!"

Itachi put his foot down. "It's dangerous; you're not leaving!"

Sasuke jumped him. And without meaning to, Itachi hit him.

He winced at his brother's wailing.

"I want my DAAAAAD!"

Like a broken record, playing the same sad words over and over again, Sasuke cried his heart out.

Sakura stared out the window again and pulled Naruto's sleeve to catch his attention. He looked out and his mouth dropped open.

**Bang! Bang!**

Gun shots.

Glass broke and cars skidded outside. Smoke loomed overhead along with more crackling of lit explosives. "Minato get back!"

"Kushina!"

"Don't worry I've got her!"

Itachi grabbed the little ones and raced passed the kitchen. "Itachi," yelled Naruto, "What's happening! Where's my dad?"

Sasuke was on his back, pulling at his hair. He had Naruto under his arm and he was pulling Sakura by the front of her dress.

The next instant was all a blur as Itachi tripped.

He remembered the stinging of his back and the whimpers of Sakura.

He thought he could see Naruto checking a scrape on his knee.

Itachi looked around for his brother.

He crawled in the dimness of the basement light and felt something wet.

He felt damp hair and he felt around.

Lips.

Nose.

"Itachi..."

The little boy grabbed his arm. "Where's mom and dad?"

Never mind them.

Sasuke needed a doctor. Itachi examined the gash on the boy's forehead.

Bandages! He had to get bandages!

Sakura screamed.

Naruto looked around, panicked, running his tiny hands through his hair.

There was no quiet.

Itachi could still hear the ruckus going outside as he fumbled with the boxes on the shelves.

He tried to remember what his dad taught him. Tried his hardest to remember, but they kept screaming and crying.

Sasuke sat up and felt his forehead.

Everything was dizzy-like-he saw two Narutos dancing, six Sakura's spazzing, and lots of weasels...lots of them. This must be what being inside a cartoon was like.

He decided he needed a nap.

Green! Green for health, green for youth.

Itachi pulled on the box and watched it topple over on the floor. He pulled out a miniature black box and lifted the metal locks. Cleansing pads. Bandages. Disinfectant. Good, good. Itachi breathed.

He shuffled toward Sasuke.

"So tired."

"Don't sleep." He ordered.

Sasuke eye lids closed.

Itachi rushed to cleanse the wound.

Sakura stopped fusing and knelt down to help. "Sasuke-kun!"

The boy mouth twitched. "Pretty."

That light was so pretty.

Sasuke giggled at as Sakura and Itachi moved to put the bandages on. Sakura's more baby-like hands fumbled and proved to be more a hindrance than an asset, but Itachi didn't stop her.

The oldest boy realized their efforts wouldn't be enough.

"Naruto call emergency."

Naruto stopped jittering and made way to the table.

Kushina made sure to teach Naruto how to use a phone.

Itachi went to turn on the radio.

Once Naruto went to mouth words, he grabbed the phone from him and told the operator their situation.

They were promptly put on hold.

Quickly and calmly, Itachi used words no nine year old boy should ever have to know and demanded they put him back on line. Then Itachi remembered the crash and booms and bangs.

Sakura started crying again. Naruto hugged her and urged to hush. Again, he looked to Itachi for guidance.

Perhaps Sasuke knew better.

Itachi cursed some more. He left that phone off the hook and tired another using another line.

_You have reached the office of Uchiha Fugaku. I am unable to speak at the moment, please call back and the earliest convenience or leave a message. _

Then he tried his mother. She had a rather bulky cell phone on her.

Dial tone.

He hung up and went back to the little ones who had surrounded Sasuke urging him to wake up.

Itachi rubbed the sweat on his forehead and plopped to the ground.

What was the use of all that studying, all those hours of training if he couldn't put his skills in use to save these kids?

The phone beside him rang. At first he didn't feel like picking up, but Naruto's hopeful gaze led to him pressing the button.

"Itachi! Sasuke!"

"Mom."

"Sasuke?"

He blinked. His nose was dripping and there was a weird hotness in his face.

"...Itachi?"

The boy struggled to his feet and went to Sasuke. "Sasuke, it's mom."

"Mi-chan!" Naruto cried.

"Naruto? Itachi, what's going on?"

"Sasuke's hurt!" Sakura said as she grabbed the receiver.

She gasped. "What?"

Naruto leaned in. "They put us on hold Mi-chan!" He grabbed the phone, "Itachi's sick too!"

"Oh, god...where's Minato?"

"Dad went outside." His face scrunched up, trying to recall what felt like such a long time ago. "He was...yelling."

"Yeah and we're the in the basement."

"The roof's leaking!"

"It's dark!"

"And-"

There was a crash upstairs. Itachi wiped his face and rushed up the steps, tripping as he did so. He used the emergency key around his neck to lock the door from the inside. "Someone's upstairs," Sakura whispered into the receiver. "Itachi locked the door," Naruto added. Sasuke hummed and twisted a bit. Sakura's heart fluttered. "Sasuke's waking up!"

Itachi came back down the steps and grabbed a metal bar from underneath the shelves.

"What are you going to do with that?"

He didn't know.

"Dad's at the door."

Itachi looked over his shoulder.

"Dad's at the door." Sasuke repeated sleepily. "He told me to wake up."

The older boy's eyes went wide.

"Open it," Naruto insisted.

Sakura nodded. "...what's happening, who's there?" Mikoto asked.

Itachi went back up, used his key, and peered outside.

He closed his eyes and pressed his back against the door.

The metal bar slipped from his fingers.

He knew little footsteps would be nearing the staircase, so he didn't let it travel far from him. "Was it your dad?"

No.

Yes?

He could hear the gurgling from outside, the pleas for him to open the door.

Itachi knew he should. "Naruto go get Sakura." His eyes stung. "Pass me the kit."

"Hello!? Hello!?" The operator called. "An ambulance is being sent right away! We're sorry for taking so long! Please hang on!"

Itachi snorted as he moved to piece together his father's face.

Itachi went out the door and kept it opened just enough for the kit to get through. Once it did, he pushed it shut and told them to tell his mom the ambulance was on the way.

Thread passed threw a needle.

Fugaku grunted. Itachi went to check his other wounds and applied pressure.

That was all he could do. Most of the bandages went to Sasuke's head wound. He'd overestimated Sasuke's abrasion and underestimated his father's. The anesthetic in all likelihood actually hurt his chances of survival. He'd never been taught the process.

He felt the man's chest heave. As long as it moved, he could relax.

Sasuke was semi-okay and the other two were practically unscathed in comparison.

In his eyes father's eyes, he saw everything he wanted to say.

All the things he would say.

All the praises and advice that he would never be able to give to Sasuke.

"I know," Itachi said, "I know."

He heard the sirens and the breaking down of his door.

He felt his father go limp. Peace.

Sasuke awoke, thirty six hours later, perfectly dazed.

He felt he was living in a dream.

Everything was so fuzzy and light on his brains.

The lights and the white linen looked so surreal, so _beyond ._

The boy smacked his lips. His mouth was dry.

When he tried to shift he found that he couldn't.

He discovered two sets of raven locks resting on his lap.

He smiled. He tried to call out to her, to let her know he was okay, but couldn't...

Sasuke moved his mouth. Nothing. He put a hand on his throat.

Uh oh.

"Well," Uruchi assessed, "He seems to be adjusting."

Mikoto nodded. "Can't say the same for you." The younger woman just sipped her tea. She didn't really want to argue.

"Soon he'll be like his brother, off to bigger and better things."

Again, she nodded, ignoring the acerbic bubbles forming in her throat.

"It's a pity you didn't take the position, I hear the force would've loved to have you back."

To that, she shrugged. It seemed to her that they just wanted her to be a trophy, to show the fortitude of surviving wives, make her into a dragged out symbol of the state. Mikoto smiled ironically to herself. She sounded so much like Kushina.

It'd been a two years since they both died.

In that time period so much had happened.

A memorial had been built. The education system was being remodeled.

All due to Deidara, a high school drop-out, con-artist and apparently, bomb extraordinaire. The press was in a real frenzy when she shook his hand.

It truly was a coincidence when they found his eyes looped around the bars of his prison the next day.

Really.

Good thing Jiraiya had connections with the press.

Until Jiraiya could clean out his go-go girl dunk tank and the smell of 'loneliness' from his sheets, Naruto was staying with them, keeping both himself and Sasuke busy.

Sasuke was very school oriented. They'd just started, but he was already studying and if Naruto wasn't 'bothering' him, he'd have his nose tucked into a book all day.

Indeed, Sasuke adjusted perfectly well.

In her eyes, Sasuke moved toward a very important time to his life. When she had been his age, things were still brand-new and she sought to explore the world. Sasuke regarded such festivities as stale and whatever he needed to know, he would act out himself. Like the time he fed Naruto all those pop rocks and fizzy drinks.

No, Naruto did not blow up.

The blonde had always been a third son to her, so she didn't complain about his presence. It was the lack-of Itachi's that worried her.

Even if Itachi paid her no mind, he'd never leave Sasuke.

Sasuke seemed to forget he had an older brother.

"Truly, I believe that Sasuke will graduate within just a few years."

Mikoto bolted upright. "Don't you think it'd be better to keep children in school?"

The older woman raised a brow. "You mean until they're twelve?"

She stared at the rim of her cup. "How about eighteen?"

"Well," Uruchi brought her cup of tea to her lips, taking in the view of the two now-opposites walking in the grass. The sweetened air though much more chilled, reflected just as much jubilancy as springtime. "I see that as a waste." She looked down from the porch and into the wild flowers. "If it's able, let it, for it might not be around tomorrow." The woman motioned for Mikoto to look down, when she did, Uruchi placed a flower behind her ear. "The system is designed for everyone at their own pace. It does such a good job."

Yes, a good job at packaging bottles of dysfunction and having them explode on people's lawns.

Mikoto knew she couldn't blame the system and that there must be something much more complex, perhaps innate, but she couldn't for the life of her see it. To her, until that moment two years ago, everything had been so infallible that it seemed heaven had stretched itself out right in front of her. She had swore so when Itachi hugged her for the first time and when Sasuke took his first steps.

Fugaku and his dazzling charm-no, it made her heart ache to think of it.

"Why don't you work for me at the bakery for a bit?" Uruchi beamed as she attempted to get off her knees and to her feet. Mikoto helped her up. "My bones just keep creaking since my fall." The old woman sighed and patted Mikoto's back in encouragement. "Always try to keep moving."

Keep going.

"Mikoto."

She jumped around to see the source of the voice.

She relaxed. "Minato." The woman worked her best smile. "Long time no see."

Minato peered out into the yard and ducked down the floorboards as a familiar head of yellow could be seen beyond the trees.

Her face broke into a scowl. He was still playing those games, eh?

"I'm ashamed."

She nodded in faux-understanding out of habit now more than empathy.

Mikoto stared at his tapped together glasses and his raggedly clothes. He looked like he'd been living day to day jumping around on trains. "I'm on the run," Minato said, "Some people might be wanting me dead."

She crossed her arms. "And you thought it best to come here?"

He shook his head. "Actually I've been thinking of ways to get around it for days." His lips moved in ill humor but dropped when he saw she neither bought or cared for the act. "I'm not...abandoning Naruto."

Mikoto took a seat across from him, but didn't offer him anything to drink.

"Mikoto...I'm going to be suing the state."

Her eyes shot open.

"No, that's incorrect." He sighed. "I'm going to be trying to impeach Danzo."

She felt a headache coming on. "You're going to try to impeach a _soju?"_

Truly Mikoto and Kushina were a match made in heaven. Two heretics, wonderful.

"Originally I was going to sue the state, but then I wondered what would be the point. There are, pardon me for the cliché, much bigger fish to fry so I-"

"Wait _why _are you impeaching Danzo?"

Minato blinked for a bit, opened his mouth a tad, then shook his head and pushed his glasses back up. "If I tell you, you run a greater risk at being killed."

Chills ran down her spine.

"Although I doubt Itachi doesn't know." Minato grumbled.

"What?"

"Don't worry. He won't do anything with the information." Minato shifted a bit. He looked a bit out of place. "But that's not what I'm here to talk with you about." Her ears were in attention mode. "As the...widow of an official, you'll still get invited to meetings. To keep history from repeating itself as it seems prone to do," he grabbed a case from behind him and pulled out a stack of white papers, "you _must _sign this."

Mikoto read the paperwork. The fourth word struck her as odd.

_Hyugas. _

Hyugas had a lot of power as the Uchihas power diminished, the Hyugas greatened. Whatever they lacked in culture and industry-wise, they made up for with diplomacy. There were eighteen Hyuga Sakes and three Soju. Each had massive amounts of land north east. Madara was the sole Soju and while they weren't fond of him, he faired much better than his predecessors. The Uchihas, specifically Fugaku's great-grandfather, technically owned all of the Taiyo, a huge chunk of the south-western part of the Land of Fire, which kept them afloat with trade.

As a matter a fact many mercenaries have to travel through Taiyo to get to the heart of the land of Fire.

Mikoto didn't know if she liked where this was going. She skimmed the lengthy document.

_Hyuga Clan leader Hyuga Hiashi grants permission for the marriage between Hyuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke. _

"I-Is this?" She looked up at him.

A betrothal contract.

"You can't be serious."

"Yes I am." His voice was very stern. "This contract will keep that bastard from so much as laying a finger on you. If any foul play takes place it will trigger the Hyugas who already have strife with Dazon for his current political campaign."

Was he using the greed of the upper-class to his advantage?

"If anything happens to either Sasuke or the Hyuga Heiress, they don't get land and that will make them very angry."

She stared at the contract. "You don't expect me to sign over my child to those soulless, passionless, Hyugas, do you?" Uchihas, men specifically, were: hard exterior, soft interior type of a people. Hyugas don't have an interior, just an extra hard shell.

Minato sighed. "I didn't know you of all people would be so into stereotyping." He teased. "I just need to buy some time."

"How much time?"

"A few years, the contract probably won't even go into affect by then."

"Probably?"

"Trust me, Mikoto. I'd never steer you wrong."

She looked at the contract. It went into effect when both turned seventeen years old. Indeed, there was some time. The woman didn't know if she liked falling prey to conspiracy theories and helping someone who was close to having a bullet in his brain at every other day.

"Just tell, from a Hyuga perspective, how could this benefit us?"

He shrugged. "More political power on both sides. They'd get more military power and access to trading routes, I'm pretty sure that's all they're thinking. Nothing deeper."

Mikoto believed him because Minato would never lie, not about something like this.

So Mikoto signed it, pressed her seal on it, praying over it, hoping that everything would be okay.

Minato smiled and left instantly after all the pages were signed.

He sure moved quickly.

000

Sasuke awoke to bars.

How come _he _was in the holding cell?

Damn Hyuga privilege.

**A/N: **

Soju and Sake, yeah. I just really didn't want to repeat information we already know. AUs, in my opinion, are meant to be parodies anyway, and I foresee a lot of jokes relating to it in the future. Right now, it's pretty much exposition. Hopefully by six or seven, the romantic aspect of the story will be reintroduced.

Did you guys like the action? Now, I guess you'd expect me to keep it up.

Darn you reader privilege.

Anyway, review. Let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

The next scene was supposed to be in chapter 4, but with the last chapter reaching 6K, it was butted out.

**Hush-Hush**

Chapter 5: Singing Birds and Asthmatic Pugs

Four maids in plain white cotton pants knelt before the hunched over, pinkish body of the new Hyuga heiress, who sat on the hardy bath stool. One of them uncapped the shampoo, let it seep over their palm, then became the excruciating cleansing of her dark syrupy (if that made any sense) hair and reminded her to keep absolutely still. The others worked on her toes, their big brushes scrapping on the undersides and the more miniatures going in between trying to rid her of the gunky, wet, lint accumulated there.

She could feel one maid, a third cousin of hers, pulling at her rib cage. Unapologetic, the woman said, "my bad, I thought there'd be more meat there." Hanabi blinked as she felt someone tugging on her inner thigh. She turned her face toward the drain and could feel them harassing her body. They scrubbed harshly, their touch like fire ants nipping.

It seemed sort of idiotic to be scrubbing and picking at her as if she were a mannequin and not fallible flesh.

Yet, all in all, it wasn't too bad. Of course the shampoo reeked of watermelon and they scrubbed much too hard for her liking. Hanabi supposed it was just something a heiress had to go through, though she didn't know why it would be such a chore to wash herself. Before then, she always used to shower in her own room. This bathroom was in the corridor, not exactly private or luxurious despite it being in the 'main' household.

A maid lifted a small bucket. The water was chilled as it cascaded over her. The side of bucket hit in the face. Honestly, it was like they didn't even care!

Only when they left did she let out a sigh. Convinced that she wouldn't be boiled alive, she dipped her toes into the water daintily then finally submerged herself. Blowing bubbles decreased the tension that had built over the last few days.

Hanabi didn't know where her "mother" was; of course, the girl now knew the truth thanks to those insensitive Uchiha southwest. To her knowledge, Hinata had been hanging out after dark near that area, so it made sense that she'd report there. It should have been suspicious, but how was it any of her business? Mother is an adult after all, Hanabi thought.

Calling her Hinata seemed far too obscene. It left a horrible taste in her mouth, and it was biting, like the sting of onion.

Hanabi slipped further into the bath. Clumsy maids aside, this was the life!

She closed her eyes and relaxed. "Aw," Hanabi breathed causing more air-filled happy times to meet the surface of the water.

Squeak. Squeak.

Ugh. What was that noise?

She sat up, hands on the edge of the tub. Hanabi peered over it. When she found nothing out of place, she looked under the bucket, pushed aside the towels. By then only her feet were in the water. She tented her body and looked down at the file, mooning the wall behind her.

Squeak. Squeak.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeak.

Her body shivered upon the contact.

Perhaps the gods managed to spare some wrath.

Hanabi jumped out the bath! "What the?" Successfully causing bruises by bully flopping on the floor, she groaned and pulled herself up. She tried to examine her back and cursed the human skeleton for not bending like taffy. There had been something clammy and rough over her back.

Suddenly, she heard scratching, no clawing. Curiosity, she went back to the tub. A small bead, the size of a peach, bobbed up and down in the water. There was an insistent squeaking. -Save me! Save me!-

Hanabi gulped and picked at the thick hairs. The thing coughed. She observed it. "You're a puppy." The pup opened its eyes then sneezed. The girl lifted him further up and blushed, "and a boy puppy too." Promptly the dog crossed its legs. -Shush human! I've been reincarnated thousands of times. I am no puppy!-

He used his paws to cover his male parts, not that he helped much; his itty-bitty arms couldn't reach. -Damn this form!-

Hanabi noted that the 'squeaking' she heard was the pub's constant wheezing. A dog with asthma, great. She held the dog with two hands and caressed him. She'd always wanted a pet! "How did you get here?" The girl looked up and noticed a gigantic hole in the ceiling. "That would do it." Just another oddity of the main household bathrooms. She went back to the door and began to stretch one arm.

It was no good.

She was too short!

The girl stomped. Water went everywhere, creating puddles over the tile. She looked down and groaned.

"Hanabi-sama, are you done?"

Cringing at the honorific added to her name, she glanced at the door. The small animal was nearly smothered by her non-boob and squeaked some more that time in protest of her massive hug.

Why do I feel this way? Hanabi asked herself. For whatever reason, she didn't want her family to know.

But that was ridiculous. It was her family, her home. Just yesterday she had pirouetted through the halls like it was nothing. It was so stupid, so chil-

"Hanabi-sama?"

The girl went back into the bath with rocket speed. She heaved then dashed out, slipping and falling straight on her back. The door knob jiggled and she made a very audible gulp.

Hanabi quickly thought about giving the pup another dunk in the tub. Her guilt crept in as she pictured kicking the pug and running home. She'd be safe with her games, but the thing would drown.

Plus someone would find the body.

Quickly, she wrapped a towel around herself, covering the dog, and clutched the two ends together.

Here goes nothing.

Hanabi opened the door.

Two cousins met face to face.

Nejji regarded her blankly, his mind clearing saying something equivalent to, what in the bloody mary does your lavender scented arse think its doing?

Yes, very Neji-like.

Noiselessly, she brushed past him in nothing but a towel, most likely smelling of wet dog.

Clearly her brain wasn't working.

Neji peered into the bathroom. Her robe was right behind the door.

He looked back out into the hall.

What was she doing with Pakkun?

Doing his sanity a well due favor, the teen merely walked along the opposite of the corridor. Leave it to Hanabi not to notice his black eye and him smelling like pwned Hyuga. Too bad he could hear the harsh whispers of his elders as he trotted by or else he'd think the heavens were going to balance his karma.

000

After the fiasco that was Hanako's third major breakdown that week, Minato took the young lady to a rather...risque cafe. Everything was dull, barely any lights. The only things that made it a cafe and not a shady bar was the old ice cream parlor to back, old-time radio playing watered down tunes, and the lines of weird coffee makers.

One looked like a hula hoop accident victim. Another seemed to be shaped like a microwave. There was no door and all that could be seen was the foaming of the cup she ordered. Once done, a bare-boned waitress with unkempt red hair put some cinnamon on top and served her.

Hanako looked wearily at the cookies that Minato was scarfing down. He tried to be subtle, but his side of the table was riddled with crumbs.

Minato had introduced himself to her as something of a hot-shot lawyer. The man told her not to be afraid of him for he was on the side of justice. She couldn't help but snort a bit. It seemed rather juvenile. But, she, having cried like a baby just hours earlier, lost all rights to tell him how to collect his dollars.

Besides, Hanako never spent much time letting her opinions rest on her tongue, so they took refuge her mind, where created a lot of silly dialogues like why life couldn't be a bit more like soda.

Because it was always tea, never soda.

Because soda corrodes the teeth, leads to upset stomach...

She pursed her lips and shook that annoying voice right out of her head. She was starting a new life. She couldn't afford to breakdown like that again.

Hanako peered at the waitress. That woman looks so familiar, she thought.

"What do we have here?" She turned and noticed the owner, who seemed just a bit older than her. But then so did Minato...

There was an unsettling gleam in his glasses' frames as he approached her. "May I ask," his voice steely, "what is your name?"

"H-H," she looked down at the table, inhaled then looked at the man with a shadow of a smirk on her face, "Hyuga Hanako." She spread her arms as if presenting herself to him. Minato quirked a brow at that behavior. "Is it now?" She nodded, but her eyes were on the gray-haired male and his emotionless face. Hanako lounged in her seat, elbow hitting the grimy window.

Then his whole disposition changed and she faltered.

"Sorry for the mess," he said, "It's hard in these parts after all."

Minato nodded. "Things haven't been going well. Even I'm hit hard."

She felt uncomfortable. The way they empathized with each other made her feel like she was intruding on a private moment.

The blonde turned to Hanako and explained, "A new dawn has come to this area, it's breaking the backs of all the residents."

"Such a nice play on words." The owner took off his apron and folded it, "Karin, take the day off. We're closing early."

The red head snarled. "Last time I did that you cut my check!"

The lazy hand wave clearly said he couldn't care less. She tsked and stormed out. The bell cracked at the force of it, killing its chime.

Karin...that name doesn't ring any-Hanako sighed then decided to actually drink the coffee. She blinked in surprise.

"My machines are flawless," the owner said as he took a side beside Minato who had scooted over. "I can't say much for the help though." He went to clean his glasses, his naked eyes peering at her. "My name is Kabuto by the way."

Just Kabuto?

Kabuto attempted to explain away her confusion. "The people of Konohagakure are much more lax with things like names."

Hinata blinked. They were in the nation's capitol.

As if knowing what was going in her mind, Minato piped into to the conversation, "Konoha is being moved as the capitol by next March." Her mouth opened wide. Had she been under a rock? "Actually it's just conjecture." Kabuto asserted. Minato rolled his eyes. "It might as well be actuality. They're taking the citizen's money," Minato pointed at Kabuto, "_your_ money and taking the businesses somewhere else. If it's not near the station, it's going to be shutdown."

"Aw," Kabuto teased, "At least someone will miss my coffee."

Abruptly Minato stood. He turned to Kabuto and rose the voice of his voice. "I won't let that happen." He motioned for Kabuto to get up. "I'll be right back. I have some notes I want to show you."

Within the next second, he was gone. Even with their seats being close to the entrance, Hanako found it too fast.

"How did you get here?"

Hanako didn't know how to pin his tone. "Minato-san-" She saw his face lose its newly discovered pleasantness. "Minato," he nodded in approval, then said, "it took us _years_ to get him to stop using honorifics."

She just didn't know what to do. This place was much different from the pamphlets where everyone wore a golden watch and ate delicacies that could cost two houses. Her fath-some of the Hyugas, if she recalled correctly (and, damn she did), came to Konoha often on business. Some of them came with minks for their wives. They spoke about how prim and proper, how clean, everything was, and would always tell her...

Hanako bit her lip and decided to go back to the real world for a bit. "Minato..." She looked up at him, face flushed from the renewed hurt. The girl sipped at her coffee then exhaled. "Pulled me out of a train." She explained that the Great Chiyo had scouted her and they were on their way to the airport.

Kabuto tapped his pointer finger against his face in mild concentration.

"Chiyo..."

Hanako nodded sadly. She took the cup to her lips.

"Isn't that...the crazy doll collector woman in Sonho?"

She spit out her coffee.

0000

Rule #1: Always pick up poop.

Rule #2: Always have a scoop to pick up the poop.

Rule#3: Those that whine about shit are.

Rule#4: Don't mess with Kiba.

At least Kiba liked to think the last one was a rule-it wasn't exactly golden what with Uchihas dropping him in the brig. He groaned and pressed his forehead against the metal. Hell, he wasn't a kid! How could they book even for truancy? Didn't they know how hard it was to keep clients when he was eating the concrete? It wasn't his fault his job demanded that he walked on their little Uchiha Utopia. If he could, he wouldn't so much as breathe on their precious law enforcement statue.

Why did he have to be held accountable for something his ancestor's did?

He frowned at the Inuzuka-help center. "I want a lawyer!" An Uchiha regarded him calmly with that superior air. Kiba stared at those coal colored eyes and shook the bars. They rattled. Gritting his teeth, he banged his open palm against the metal. "Fucking hell!" The boy fell to his knees clutching his hand. What kind of metal are they using?

"...Kiba, is that you?"

He shook his head.

No, it couldn't be. Sasuke!?

He went back to the bars and tried to put his head through.

Obviously he couldn't, so he yelled, "Is that you?"

"No, it's your heart."

Kiba shook with anger remembering the exploding paper mache. He'd pay him back later, he was curious. "What are you in for?"

Sasuke hesitated telling him, but sighed. He'd been in for what he guessed was about an hour. No one else so much as glanced his way. Minus his brother. Itachi just waved his way as he walked passed carrying supplies for whatever new obsession he was indulging.

He thought about lying to Kiba, but he knew from experience that whatever lies he could make up would always be fuel for the other boy's purposes later on. "I got into a fight." At least it wasn't something unexpected of him.

By Kiba's tone he didn't seem impressed. "The guy?"

"Does it have to be a guy?" He flinched.

Kiba let that one go, but egged him on since his interest was piqued again. "Anything to do with your HB?"

The Uchiha winced at his very unwanted reminder. He knew he was due to checking his messages. That damned webmaster got the nerve to send a voicemail to his phone. Whenever he gave a fake number, they found his real one anyway. It was becoming rather menacing.

"I got into a fight with a Hyuga."

"That chick's brother?"

...he hadn't thought about that. Sasuke rubbed his temples. He really didn't want to think about that. It made no sense.

"So which one was it?"

Tsk. All Hyugas look all the same. He glowered then went back to lie down.

"I've been thinking about something," Kiba said. He licked his lips. He knew he shouldn't say it, but...

"Maybe the reason she dumped you was because you were an Uchiha."

Sasuke sprung up and kicked the wall. "Keep quiet already," he hissed.

"And because you act like that." Kiba went to the wall he knew Sasuke wanted to smack into bits. "You know," he smiled, "before you were this cool headed guy, always up in my shit, loved by everyone." He pressed his back against the wall and his smile turned to a grin. "But now, you're a ticking time bomb. I bet I don't have to do anything. I didn't think much of your romance with that pretty flower of yours, but I can see it's your undoing."

When did the dog become so insightful?

Never mind that, there was no way he was going to be an emotional mess over a girl-

...again.

No, never again.

Kiba laughed.

0000

Kabuto sighed and wiped his face with the good side of a yellow coffee-stained napkin. "Assuming that's the case," he said irritably as he tried to clean away the bits of cookie from his face, "then you owe Minato a favor."

The girl wanted to retort, to tell him that he was wrong, that the Great Chiyo was her only chance to free herself...to get away...but everything inside her dropped and she took a gulp of her coffee.

Her cellphone vibrated trying to remind her, persuade her.

But she wouldn't even look at it. She didn't even know why she took the darn thing. Hanako rubbed her arms, there was a chill suddenly.

Minato appeared with a stack of folders. "Proof."

Kabuto shuddered. "This isn't healthy." He took one folder and opened it. "This is nothing but the city's layout." Hanako took another. "Is this the administration building?" She traced her finger over the photographs. "Why is this part tinted red?" Minato titled his head innocently. "Because it's going to be bombed." Kabuto rested his head on his hand. "This isn't the fish you're looking for."

"But it might be just as good!"

What did she get herself into?

0000

Hiashi sat on a park bench staring into the sunset. He held his cell phone in his hand as he did everyday for the last few weeks. Calling her a girl then demanding she act like a woman...

The man, middle-aged, stroked the pink watch on his wrist.

What had he done?

He stared at the moon. Time flashed before him.

Hiashi straightened and was prepared to walk off until he saw those judging blood red eyes. He sat back down, stunned. "Good morning, Hyuga-sama."

**A/N:**

Hanako=assumption of new identity. All the reasons will unfold.

Reasons for chosen characterization (you know, aside from rule of funny) will be revealed through text.

This story is an AU adaption of some crap I did called _The Life of My Wife. HushHush _has_: _Same pairing. Different writing style. Essentially the same plot, added humor (a _much _lighter tone) and resurrected characters (who were, since dead in canon, not there). _The Life of My Wife _had many psychological components and was written in a convoluted way to reflect that. Writing flowery for long periods of time makes me sick, so I decided to shift the 'style' for the sake of my sanity and enjoyment of my readers. _  
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Thanks for the reviews. Review more! Reviews lead to more chapters and improvement of writing. If you feel that some shit isn't right, tell me.


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